Sanctuary Director

Position Summary

The Sanctuary Director (SD) is responsible for the overall care and well-being of all pigs at Ironwood, including those on-site and in foster care. Reporting to the Executive Director (ED), the SD provides leadership for animal care, sanctuary operations, and facility management. The SD directly supervises the managers of Pig Care, the Foster Program, and Facilities, and partners with the ED to ensure the operating systems, staff, and resources are in place for Ironwood’s long-term success.

Key Responsibilities

Pig Care

• • Oversee the daily care, health, nutrition, enrichment, and welfare of all pigs at the sanctuary.
  • Lead and manage a team of employees dedicated to pig welfare, including the Sanctuary Pig Care Manager.
  • Maintain best practices for animal care, health and behavior monitoring.
  • Ensure high-quality consistent education, training and ongoing professional development for pig care staff.

Foster Program

• • Provide oversight for 440 pigs in foster homes across the region.
  • Support the Foster Program Manager in their job of recruiting, training, and assisting foster families and provide spaying, neutering, medical care, medicines and feed for the foster pigs.
  • Ensure foster homes have appropriate facilities for safe and humane pig care.
  • Oversee the Facilities team in extending support services to foster families.

Sanctuary Operations & Facilities

• • Consistent observance of the Sanctuary grounds looking for areas or items needing attention, organization, or cleaning.
  • Oversee the use of technology in pig care, operational systems and processes as well as communications to ensure they are effective and meet the needs of the pigs and staff who care for them.
  • Oversee the Facilities Manager and Maintenance team to ensure the health, safety, and well-being of the pigs and staff.
  • Collaborate with the ED to plan and prioritize capital projects, repairs, and improvements.

Leadership & Staff Management

• • Directly supervise the Managers of Pig Care, Foster Program, and Facilities.
  • Provide general oversight of all Sanctuary pig care and maintenance staff to assure quality of care on an ongoing basis.
  • Build a strong, collaborative staff culture rooted in compassion, accountability, and teamwork.
  • Collaborate with the Executive Director to establish and implement operational systems, personnel policies, and animal care standards.

Strategic & Organizational Development

• • Support the ED in aligning sanctuary operations with organizational strategy and goals.
  • Contribute to long-term planning for staffing, facilities, and resources to sustain and grow animal care capacity.
  • Ensure readily available data, impact stories, and tours that support fundraising and donor engagement.

Qualifications

• • Significant leadership experience in animal care, sanctuary management, or related fields.
  • Demonstrated experience managing large teams with rotating, part-time or seasonal staff (20-45+ staff preferred).
  • Strong background in animal welfare, health, and enrichment practices.
  • Proven ability to manage complex operations with multiple departments.
  • Excellent communication, leadership, and personnel problem-solving skills.
  • Commitment to the mission and values of Ironwood Pig Sanctuary.

Health insurance provided with Ironwood paying 50% of premiums.

Retirement accounts available.

Paid time off is cumulative.